Skyrim: The Thief, Warrior, and Mage
by SpiritWolf321
Summary: Malin's an experienced criminal, Blue's lost his memory, and Eirik wants nothing more than to leave the responsibilities of Dragonborn behind. However, when the trio meets a vampire carrying an Elder Scroll, they find their destinies altered.
1. Chapter 1: Uncertain

She stared out at the purple sky, watching the crystal stars blink against it. The moon was full tonight – although part of it was blocked by the mountain across the cool lake. She took a deep breath and inhaled the sweet smell of the late spring flowers. When her breath was let out, her shoulders released their tension, and her jaw unclenched. Wisps of breezes brushed against her fur and gently swayed the tall, dark green grass. Her shoulders adjusted to better fit the soft ground underneath her. The only sounds her ears picked up were the light slapping of lake waves at the base of the hill and the chirping of nocturnal birds in the pine trees. Her pale blue eyes shut and opened again.

It was a calm and peaceful night. She hadn't been able to relax like this in months. No, she thought, a _year._ At least, that was what it felt like. She wasn't sure exactly how long it had been since she first came to Skyrim and she hadn't really been keeping track. She had been a bit preoccupied.

The Khajiit scoffed at the thought. She still couldn't believe that she let herself tag along with that…Dragonborn, or whatever people call him, for so long. However, as she pondered, she loved going on adventures and – she admitted only to herself – she didn't want to travel alone. It was nice having someone on her side, helping her raid dungeons and travel to the different towns. It was one of the best feelings in the world; she didn't have to sit alone in the snow watching the fire of her camp. She had someone to share her experiences with, instead of telling them to strangers. The only time she did have a partner with her, other than the Dragonborn, was when she didn't kill this man named Cicero, and a few days later he asked if he could travel with her. The man was insane, but she still liked having someone to talk to. However, when the Dragonborn showed up, Cicero didn't like him so he decided to head back to the Dawnstar Sanctuary. She never figured out why he didn't like Eirik.

She wondered where Eirik was at that moment. After they had defeated Alduin, the World Eater, he wanted to part ways and go home to Kynesgrove. He said that he would still help people out in Skyrim, but he missed his family. He also told her that they may meet again. 'May' was the key word. She sighed and went back in her house to get some sleep.

I

He ran across the deck, holding his arm over his head. It didn't do anything, since the hard rain dripped past his arm. He finally reached the door to the legate's cabin. The Breton gripped the steel handle and quickly went inside. He heard the rain hit against the wood of the ship and the raging ocean.

The legate stared at the soaked man. He cleared his throat. "Sir, the soldiers have spotted something.  
Something dangerous," he told his superior.

The legate responded, "Spit it out, lad."

"It's a dragon, moving in from the west."

The legate stood straight up. "You're sure?" he asked quickly.

"Positive – the lookouts wouldn't send me to you if they didn't know."

"Sound the alarm, and make sure everyone is at their battle stations." The young man nodded and left.

In minutes every soldier on the boat was out holding bows, or below readying the cannons. The piercing, massive roar rumbled every splinter of wood. Lightning struck, giving them a glimpse of the mass moving towards them. "Divines help us," the man whispered.

And that was all the young Breton could remember, before he woke up on unknown shores.


	2. Chapter 2: Everything's Vague

He hadn't had anything to eat in days. He didn't even know what day it _was_. The Breton had wondered down the same shore, not knowing anything about the world. All he did know was vivid feeling of cold, hard rain hitting his skin, and the sound of incredible, terrifying roaring. His hands shook with fear. His stomach growled the worst sound of hunger. The sharp wind cut through him, widening the hole of emptiness in his chest. His throat croaked a terrible noise in his attempt to call out for help. He had woken up with wet, torn robes. Now the water had frozen and he was practically wearing ice.

He couldn't go on. The young man fell to his knees on the frosted grass. "Help," he whispered under his breath, not able to speak any louder. The bright sun did little to warm him. His eyes saw the small figure moving towards him on a distant, white hill. He wanted more than anything to run to it, but his head landed on the ground in complete exhaustion. He lost consciousness.

The Breton woke up to gentle warmth. His body was covered with soft cloth, and the cold was gone. The sunlight had gone away, too. He was inside…but where? He struggled to sit up, but he quickly fell down again.

"Hey, don't get up." The stranger's voice made him jump and his heart begin to race. He stared in fear at the woman approaching him. She crouched down in front of him, meeting his eyes. Hers were…strange. She wasn't like him. She was covered in fur, and her ears were larger, and her face was like an animal. But she was the only living thing he had seen, other than the occasional fox or rabbit. Was this what people looked like?

She handed him a metal cup filled with water. "Go ahead, drink it. It'll help that sore throat." The strange woman gave a small smile.

He couldn't say 'thank you,' though he wanted to. Instead, he showed his gratitude by drinking the whole cup with a single sip. He gave it back to her, and she walked into the next room for a few seconds. She came back with it, only it was filled up again. He drank that one, too.

She then got him a third cup and wiped down his forehead with a damp washcloth. She brought him some freshly baked bread and an apple. He accepted them, and ate them quickly. She smiled and took the core from him. Eventually he was sitting up, facing the fire, and sipping the stew she gave him. Every time she came near him, he watched her with interest. He had never known another person, at least he thought, and she was so different from him, yet so kind. She didn't seem to know him. Still, she gave him warmth and food and drink.

When she was getting something from the other rooms, he scanned the house he was in. There was a table a few feet away from him, and two rooms on the left and right side. Two archways led somewhere else on both sides of the hearth. Then there was a balcony wrapping all the way around the house above him. A pair of staircases led up to those. That was all he could see.

"Can you stand?" she asked gently, leaning down on her knees. He slowly nodded. He thought he could try to stand, anyways. She stood up straight and pulled a chair away from the table to right behind him. "Let's try and get you in this chair, shall we? You've been sitting on the floor for a while, now." She held out her hand and he grabbed it. She pulled him up high enough to where he could fall backwards into the seat. "There you go." She smiled again. He liked her smile. The woman pulled another chair over. She grabbed some folded cloths from the table and sat in the seat in front of him. "What's your name?" she asked him.

He spoke slowly, "I-I don't know. I…don't, uh…remember anything. Everything's…vague."

She nodded. "Well, I need something to call you, at least."

He thought. He looked at her strange eyes. One thing pounded through his mind: blue. Her eyes were blue. They were a beautiful blue.

"Blue," he told her. "I like…blue." He knitted his eyebrows and cocked his head.

"It's nice to meet you, Blue. I'm Malin," she greeted. "You said you can't remember anything. Are you sure that's there's nothing? Is there even a faint memory?"

"Um, w-well, there is…a roaring. It's loud. Very loud."

"Roaring? What kind?"

"This may be a strange way to describe it, but it's like the sound of nightmares. It's so…harsh and it instills this…fear in you."

"Sounds like a dragon," she said softly. "Those things _are_ pretty scary." She looked away, and her mind seemed to go somewhere else. But what she said gave him something. Dragon. He had a distinct feeling of telling someone that, and how he was scared, and everyone around him was, too. Malin blinked and she came back to reality. "Uh, these are some fresh clothes," she placed her hand on the cloths on her lap. "I'll go start a bath and you can change into these afterwards. In the meantime, try and get up, walk around. You seem to have gotten much better in three days."

"Three days? I was on the floor for, uh…three days?"

"You were on the bed for two but I figured you would warm up much faster if you were near the fire," Malin replied.

The young man was strange, she thought. He had collapsed on the shore a few days ago while she was on her way here. She could tell that before the frostbite he had an incredibly soft face. It didn't have scars or even the tiniest of scratches, so he obviously hadn't been in any fights. How old was he, anyway? He had a bit of a baby face, and his skin was very pale. He must've lived a pretty fat and happy life. If that was the case, then he clearly wasn't from Skyrim. He was a Breton, so maybe High Rock? She kept asking questions in her mind, though she knew he wouldn't be able to answer them.

"Do you, uh, know anything about me? O-or where I am?" Blue asked. He was getting better at talking, and his voice was much less hoarse.

"The only things I do know about you is what I can see, and I promise to explain as much as possible after you bathe," Malin replied, standing up and placing the clothes on her chair. "I'll be right back. You're welcome to anything."

Malin left and went past one of the archways. Blue stared at the flames, not knowing what else to do. He didn't feel much like getting up, though he knew he would have to eventually. He sighed heavily.

II

Eirik saw her house in the distance. Would she even _want_ to go with him? He thoroughly enjoyed her company, but did she enjoy his? She always mocked his inexperience, or scolded him when he did something stupid. She also never missed an opportunity to show him up. However, he knew she was a kind-hearted person, and would always be willing to help someone in need.

He had never traveled alone, and never wanted to. The only time he did was on the journey to Malin's home, which was now. He absolutely hated it. It was endless silence, loneliness, and seemed like much more work. Of course, when he worked on his family's farm, he didn't really have much time to talk, but his uncle or mother or sister or father was right along beside him, helping him.

He could've found someone else to help him, but she was the only skilled person he knew. Plus, she was rather good with a bow.

He trudged through the wet mud and snow. Eirik marched down to her home and knocked. He stood and waited half a minute before the door opened.

Malin frowned when she saw him. "What'd you do this time?"

Eirik chuckled. "It's good to see you, too, Malin."

"Whatever you need, you'll have to come back later. I'm…," she glanced to the side, " _busy_."

"Busy doing what?" Eirik asked, crossing his arms.

"That's not your business."

"How important is it? I've got a very large bounty on a dragon, and I was hoping you'd help me kill it. I'll split the spoils, of course."

Malin hesitated. She bit her lip and narrowed her eyes. Finally, she shook her head. "I can't. Come back in a couple days, maybe I'll be free then." She prepared to close the door, but Eirik placed his hand on it.

"Can I at least get my bow back? Remember I lent it to you because yours broke. We both forgot about it."

Malin's ears folded back. "Oh yeah," she said. "Wait here." She left the door open, and went further into her home. Eirik watched the Khajiit leave. When she turned the corner, he got a perfect view of the piles of bowls and herbs on her table in the hall. There were buckets of water on the floor, too. An aroma of warm stew and bread wafted through the air. Eirik's only thought was, _What in all of Tamriel is she doing in there?_

His curiosity over took him, and he strode into the building. He heard a slight creak as he stepped over the wood planks. He noticed the small amount of steam in the air. There were blankets near the hearth, but far enough away to not catch fire.

In a flash he spun around. The stranger stood in Malin's bedroom entryway. Eirik stared at his green eyes with blue ones. His hair was soaking wet.

The Breton spoke first. "Uh…hi. Are you, uh, a friend of Malin's?"

"Wha…?" Before he could say anything more, Malin came out from the armory with a hunting bow in her hand.

The Khajiit walked over to Eirik and gave him a look of annoyance. "I thought I told you to wait outside."

"I was...," he paused, trying to think of the right word. "Curious."

"Uh huh. Well, here's you bow, so you can go now."

"Who's your friend?"

Malin huffed. "His name's Blue."

"Blue? That's rather unusual."

She rolled her cat eyes. "Blue, this is Eirik. It looks like he's not going to leave until you talk to him."

Blue slowly walked towards the Nord. "Hi," he said again. He held out his hand. "It's, uh, nice to meet you."


	3. Chapter 3: Old Memories

"Stupid Nord," Malin muttered. First he shows up out of nowhere, barges into her home, and drags her and Blue off to do _his_ job! She stares in disbelief at Eirik. Her agitation grew. There they were laughing and talking like the best of friends.

Her thoughts paused. Why was she getting upset about Blue and Eirik getting along? She shouldn't mind. And besides, she was planning on walking around with Blue anyway. But this is different. They're going to kill a _dragon_. Blue seemed terrified when he described a dragon's roar. And a dragon is probably the reason he lost his memory. Maybe there was a village that was attacked? That doesn't explain how he ended upon that shore; perhaps a shipwreck, then?

She shook her head. Malin would have plenty of time to worry about that later.

The trio had left Windstad Manor a few hours ago. Eirik had spent the night at her home so they would be able to have time to prepare. She gave Blue some leather armor along with a glass sword she had. Malin could've found something better, of course, but she wasn't sure what he specialized in, if he did specialize in anything. He could be a master thief, for all she knew.

Eirik wore a set of armor made from banded iron, complete with a ridiculous horned helmet. Although, at first glance, he did look rather fierce – that was only if you didn't know what a complete buffoon he was.

"Hey, Malin, come on up here!" Eirik beckoned to the Khajiit. He turned his head slightly while they were walking. The sun reflected off his helmet.

"What?" she said dryly, speeding up and stepping between Eirik and Blue. She didn't mean for her tone to come out like that. "Is something wrong?" she tried more pleasantly.

"No, no, not at all." Eirik had a smile on his face, as did Blue. "I was just telling our new friend," he put an emphasis on 'friend', "about when we flew on Odahviing to go to Sovngarde."

Malin gave a content sigh. "That was an incredible experience, and a once in a lifetime opportunity."

"And, uh, you said that Sovngarde was the heaven for…pure Nord warriors. So, how does that, uh, work? How…were you able to journey there while you were, um…still alive?" Blue asked, still struggling with his words.

"There was a magic portal that took us there in Alduin's temple, Skuldafn. Before we could get there, however, we had to defeat an ancient dragon priest and use his staff to open the portal," Malin explained.

"That…sounds complicated."

"It is," Eirik and Malin said in unison.

III

Eventually the group found where the dragon was supposed to be. They had climbed the mountain, and had reached the top. Eldersbood Peak, it was called. The dragon there had been terrorizing Morthal and Whiterun for some time. Malin was surprised she hadn't heard of it. It obviously must've been around long enough to get a bounty.

The snow-covered stairs led up to a flat, stone platform with the Word Wall built directly across from the stairs. From the edge of the platform you could see the entire mountain range. Quiet, white wind flew over the ground.

"Well, Eirik, time to do your thing," Malin said after a few seconds of silence. The Dragonborn didn't respond, and simply strode over to the Wall.

He began to hear the chanting. Eirik never understood what the words meant, or who was saying them, but he did know them to be empowering. They seemed to urge him forward, and give him strength. It was rthymic and slow. He stepped within the Wall, and the blue light came from the ancient dragon words and was absorbed by him. Everything went black for a split second, but then the light came again. Eirik knew the word. Zun, or Weapon; it would help him disarm a weak enemy. Its meaning pounded through him like drums.

That's when the dragon roared. It came up from behind the Wall, shooting high into the air. Eirik pulled his sword out – Dragonbane, it was called. He held his shield high in his left hand.

Behind him, as the dragon circled the Peak, Malin drew her bow. She told Blue to stay back. He hid behind a rock and watched as the Khajiit took aim at the dragon.

"It's a Blood Dragon," Eirik told Malin as they stood back-to-back.

She replied, while keeping a steady eye on the beast, "Shouldn't be too hard."

It closed in. "Ready?" Eirik said.

"Yep." Malin released her bowstring. The daedric arrow shot through the crisp air and hit the dragon in the shoulder. The dragon focused its green eyes on Malin, and swooped down for her. It flew so low and fast that its claws scratched the earth. When it was about to grab the Khajiit in its jaws, she and Eirik rolled out of the way. The dragon rose again and spun around. It landed on the stone with a shaky thud. The Blood Dragon pulled back its head, and a guttural roar came from its throat. In a second, the dragon let out the words of power yol and toor, meaning fire and inferno. The torrent of blaze shot straight at the pair.

Eirik ran to left and Malin to the right. However, when they split up, Malin disappeared. Blue couldn't see her anywhere, and began to worry. Before the dragon flew back into the air, Eirik used a powerful shout on it. The Words cast a swirling blue light around the dragon. It appeared to be pulled down to the ground again. Eirik reached down for his sword, but came up with nothing. The dragon prepared to shout at him again, and he knew it. His eyes became shrouded in fear.

Malin became visible. She sat on top of the Word Wall and leaped down on top of the dragon's head. In her head she held Dragonbane. The Blood Dragon fought and jerked its head, but Malin had wrapped her legs around its neck. With a quick and clean movement, she jabbed the blade into its eye. The dragon screeched in pain, but it quickly settled down. There wasn't a single sound coming from it after that. It was dead.

Malin slid down its scales. She yanked the sword from the bloody spot, and held it out for Eirik. He grabbed it from her.

"What in the name of Talos was that?" he said, ignoring the pale light coming from the dragon as it went into him. The Blood Dragon's scales burned away, leaving the skeleton of the great beast bare.

She replied, crossing her arms, "That was a successful plan."

"You didn't think of informing me of you little idea?"

"It was a spur of the moment thing. Besides, I knew what you were going to do. You try to do it _all_ the time. Your plan was to have me draw it in, you use Dragonrend, and then you kill it. Eirik, you didn't think of its shouts, or the fact that it isn't _completely_ immobile once brought down to the ground." Malin sighed deeply, and said more calmly, "If a plan works once, that doesn't mean it's going to work again."

Eirik replied immediately, "You seem to love telling me that."

"Look, stealing your sword was wrong. But I knew it was going to try to strike you, and I had to do something! I had to stop you from attacking! You could've died if I hadn't," she finished quietly. Her light blue eyes glanced to the ground.

Eirik was at a loss for words. How did he respond to that? He didn't realize how much she cared for him. Maybe when him wanting to go home had a greater effect on her that he thought…. "Malin," he tried, but she brushed him off before he could say anything further.

"We should get to Morthal to collect that bounty," she said, heading towards the stairs. Malin stopped and glanced over her shoulder. Blue stood next to her. "If you don't come along soon, I'll go on ahead and meet you there."

"No…no, I'm coming." Eirik slowly walked over to the Khajiit. He slid his sword back in its sheath. Malin began moving away from the Dragonborn and was soon far ahead.

Blue walked next to Eirik. "I, uh, just wanted to say…that was incredible, the fight with that dragon."

"Thank you, Blue. Though you should be thanking Malin. She's the one who killed it."

"I would, but, uh…," he glanced at her, "it doesn't seem like she wants to talk."

Eirik looked at her in silence. Blue leaned forward, searching his friend's blue eyes. "It seems like you too were really close friends, at one point."

"Not really." Eirik sighed. "I was just a farm boy from a little village called Kynesgrove. I always thought I would grow up, take over my father's mill, and live a simple life. But that was before the dragon. It rose from an old burial mound near my home, and attacked everything in sight. Then…Malin came – a mysterious Khajiit wearing black armor riding upon a horse of shadow. She rode in, firing her arrows at it. Along her side, another woman with blonde hair. They fought off the dragon swiftly, but not without damage. When it fell, I ran over to it, wanting to thank the women who killed it. They stared at it, talking in hushed tones. Then…I absorbed its power." He looked at Blue. "That was how I discovered I was Dragonborn. The women introduced themselves as Malin and Delphine, and then I was called by the Greybeards, the Masters of the Voice. And that was the start of my adventure. Malin fought alongside me, killing dragons and journeying all over Skyrim.

"She hardly ever said anything, unless it was to comment on my actions. _I_ couldn't stop talking, for it was all so new to me. I was afraid, and I looked up to Malin. She was always so calm and experienced. I didn't think much of it when I said goodbye to her. I thought I could go home, and forget about the Dragonborn and what I did, where I went. But I couldn't. It was the most exciting time of my life and I would never be able to deny that I loved adventuring. So, after a couple of months, I looked for bounties on dragons, because that was the only thing I knew how to do. It just so happened that there was a bounty in Morthal, near one of Malin's houses. And…you know the rest."

Blue cocked his head. "So you've, uh, decided to leave your farm and become an adventurer?"

"I don't know, my friend. I love it, but being Dragonborn…that's a responsibility I don't know I'm ready for," the Nord finished.

Ahead, Malin took a deep breath. A wolf ran out from behind a rock and snarled. It pounced. She swiftly took out her bow and shot it – it fell to the ground. Malin paused in her tracks. She kneeled down in the snow and stared in the wolf's eyes. Why did she feel a sudden wave of compassion for it? It was just a stupid animal, she told herself. It tried to attack on its own, without a pack to help it. The wolf was alone in life, and it was alone in death. She swallowed. Malin felt her hands begin to shake. She tightened them and made fists.

Malin shook her head and wiped the tear from her cheek. She stood, her knees cold and wet from snow, and stepped down the stone.

IV

Jarl Idgrod Ravencrane rewarded her Thane and Malin gave Eirik half of the gold. The Khajiit walked out of Highmoon Hall and was followed by the Dragonborn and Blue. Half of the water in Morthal was frozen over.

"Now what?" Malin asked, crossing her arms.

Blue and Eirik glanced at each other. The Dragonborn met Malin's eyes. "You mean you _want_ to go on another quest?"

"Yes; unless you'd like to go back to Kynesgrove," she said, trying to hide her emotions as much as possible.

Eirik replied, "I'm sure my parents can wait a couple more days."

"I guess it's settled, then." On the inside, Malin was relieved. She reached into one of the pouches on her armor and came out with a map. "Before you two caught up with me, there was an Orc who gave me this map, and told me about a group of vampire hunters, and if I wanted to join. This is their fort." She pointed to a place on the map. It was a structure beyond the mountains to the east of Riften. Malin said, "Feel like killing vampires?"


End file.
